1948
by Monica Joy
Summary: Peggy tried to move on. Steve knew he would never forget her. What happened when Steve showed up at her door after the events in Avengers Endgame? This story had to be told. Steggy one shot.


_New York, 1948_

_Peggy_

Peggy slipped her heels off with a sigh. It had been a long day. A mission had gone bad, with an agent ending up in critical condition.

It was days like this that Peggy wished she had someone to talk to when she got home. A way to release the secrets, the fear, and the unrelenting exhaustion of living in a misogynistic world. Someone to confide in. She knew she was doing good work and most days thrived at the SSR, but sometimes she found herself aching for a companion to share her life with.

Two years ago she tried to open up to someone else - coworker Daniel Souza. He was lovely, and the first person who made her feel like she could have a true chance at happiness. When their relationship was in its tenuous early stages, Daniel became ill and passed away due to an infected gunshot wound. For yet another time, Peggy felt numb and alone. She was immensely thankful for Jarvis and Anna, as well as Angie and letters from her mother. Still, she doubted if she would find a partner in life.

Peggy wasn't the type of person to wallow in self-pity. Instead she pushed on with her career, which included big dreams for a new espionage intelligence organization. She and the rest of the country tried to find purpose in the years after the war despite the loss of loved ones. Never one to find validation from others, Peggy knew her value, knew she could lead a successful and even satisfying life helping others. But the pang of loneliness was something she couldn't seem to shake on days like today.

This afternoon was similar to most others: she put the kettle on and read her mail while the radio played softly. Her mind drifted to a few happy memories, events that took place during the terrible war - but these memories also included the presence of a good-hearted man that was alive and well, which made them precious to her . . .

She had just finished dinner when she was startled by a knock at the door.

_Quantum Realm_

_Steve_

Returning all 6 infinity stones had been a challenge, but he wasn't Captain America for nothing. Steve successfully replaced each stone in its respective timeline and felt confident he hadn't created any additional new realities. But there was one more stop to make.

Ever since he saw Peggy in 1970, an idea had brewed in the back of his mind. While he didn't even attempt to understand all the complexities of time travel and its implications, he knew he would do anything to be with Peggy again. She was, simply put, the love of his life.

Before she passed away elderly Peggy told him that "None of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over."

Steve never questioned this truth. He had always thought he would never be able to forget the girl in the red dress, that he would spend his life trying to start over in the twenty-first century. But now, thanks to the quantum realm and the genius of Tony and Bruce, going back actually seemed possible.

Once he paid his respects at Tony and Natasha's funerals, Steve had quietly volunteered to take the stones back to their original times. When Bucky found out what Steve was going to do, he immediately knew what his plan was. He found Steve inside on a computer, which was a unusual sight. Without preamble Bucky stated, "You're not coming back, are you?"

Steve looked up from what he was doing and paused a moment before saying, "It's always been her, Buck."

"I know. You have to do it. I'm gonna miss you, pal." Bucky sat down heavily next to Steve.

"Do you want to come too? You could have another shot at your old life."

"My life will never be normal, no matter what decade I'm in," Bucky said, gesturing to his left arm. "I think I need to stay here and right the wrongs I've made. Plus, with you gone, someone's gotta cover the 'genetically altered unfrozen soldier' position on the team."

Steve cracked a half smile and said, "I'm going to miss you too, pal. But I bet we'll see each other again."

Bucky looked at him knowingly and then directed his attention to Steve's computer. "What are you doing?"

"Well . . . now that you know what my plan is . . . I'm - I'm trying to figure out what year to go back to once I return all the stones. I don't want to return too soon, especially with the war not even being over at the point I was frozen. I know I can't be Captain America when I go back. I have to find another way to help people. And I'm already much older than we were in 1945, but I also don't want to miss another second without her. I just want to see if we still have a chance at . . . this." Steve could hardly speak directly about his plan to find Peggy in case for some reason it didn't work. Or worse, that she had moved on and he missed his window of opportunity.

Ah. So Steve was trying to figure out when Peggy got married and how he could disrupt the timeline as little as possible. He knew there was a likely risk of creating a branched timeline. But at this point, Steve didn't even care.

Bucky and Steve worked slowly through old S.H.I.E.L.D. files to uncover what information they needed to know. Natasha would have been the best person to ask for help with this task, since neither of them had expert skills with technology, especially with unlocking archived classified files. Or Tony's F.R.I.D.A.Y. could have assisted if they could keep the search a secret from the rest of the team. Both Steve and Bucky felt this loss sharply as they mourned for their friends during their search.

They eventually decided Steve should return to 1948. The world had gone back to some semblance to normal by then. They never were able to find information about Peggy's husband, but they did find records that she married in early 1950. Steve hoped that returning to 1948 would be ideal. He didn't want to interfere or take any of Peggy's potential marital happiness away in her future, but he just had to take this chance to see if she would still have him. He found her address and decided he was ready to go. With one last goodbye to Bucky and Sam as well as subtle farewells to the rest of the Avengers, he began the reverse journey through time with the infinity stones.

After just having returned the time stone to the Ancient One on Bleecker Street, he barreled towards 1948 with an emotion that he barely allowed himself to feel before: hope. Even though he hadn't revealed where he was going next, it seemed like the Ancient One knew his plans. While cryptic in their conversation, she hinted that the timeline would remain one strand of reality regardless of his actions and that she approved of what he wanted to do. When Steve questioned her further, she merely thanked him for returning the stone and turned around to continue destroying Chitauri coming from the sky.

Upon arriving in 1948, Steve stealthily acquired casual clothes and food as he readjusted his eyes and ears to mid-twentieth century New York City. He never had the opportunity to return home after the super serum and his involvement in the war, so the sight filled him with nostalgia and amusement. "What a crazy life I've had," he thought to himself, "How will I even begin to explain myself to Peggy?" He decided he would find her first and figure the rest out later.

He located her house on a quiet street outside the city. He said a quick prayer, took a deep breath, and knocked on her front door.

_Together Again_

Peggy walked briskly to the door and opened it.

"Peggy." A perfectly healthy Steve Rogers stood in front of her with an expression that was both ecstatic and reserved as he tried to control his emotions.

All Peggy could do was stare.

". . . Steve?" She reached her hand out as if she was going to touch his face, then pulled back.

"But . . . this is impossible." She leaned against the open door for fear she was hallucinating. These days she only saw his face in her dreams as she tried to move on from the best man she ever knew. And yet here he was standing in front of her, looking as handsome as ever.

"Peggy. It's okay. I'm real. I'm alive." Steve could hardly contain his joy at seeing her, same red lipstick and curls, same intelligent eyes. He thought maybe it was the first time he had ever seen her in stockinged feet though.

This time she did reach out and touch his cheek, still so sure that what she was seeing wasn't real.

Instead, her fingers came into contact with warm skin that felt very, _very _real. She saw Steve close his eyes briefly at her touch and then he reached up his own hand to cover hers.

"Oh Steve! _Steve._ I don't understand. How are you here? How are you alive?"

Steve pulled her hand away from his face and enclosed it with both of his, still keeping her at arm's length. He had no idea what was going through her mind right now, or what part of her life he was intruding upon. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms, but he would follow her lead. Still, he couldn't help noticing there was no ring on the hand he held.

Peggy's eyes were wide with wonder and disbelief, her heart feeling too large for her body. She stared for a few more seconds, then with a half sob, half laugh, leaned forwards into his chest.

_Finally,_ Steve thought. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. She pulled him closer, hardly believing he was really in front of her.

During the war, besides their brief kiss before Steve jumped into the plane that would separate them for a lifetime, their physical contact was fairly limited except when a situation in combat or camp called for it. Standing in each other's arms felt incredibly intimate and absolutely perfect. Time seemed to stand still as they embraced.

Eventually Peggy pulled away, discreetly wiping away tears and trying to gain control of her emotions. She tried to bring back her typical confident and matter-of-fact demeanor but was failing horribly. Steve handed her a handkerchief as he tried to blink away the wetness that had filled his own eyes. They both laughed at their own embarrassment and at the joy of being with someone who understood exactly how the other was feeling.

"I have so much to tell you. And I want to know all about you, too" Steve said, finally breaking the silence. Peggy guided him to her creaky wooden double seater swing that overlooked the small yet well-groomed flower bed and lawn.

"I want to know everything," she replied, "I'll tell you about my life later, once I hear your story."

They sat down and Steve gathered his thoughts for a moment, hardly knowing where to begin his story. He warned her of the ridiculousness of what he was about to say. "You need to know that for me, we've been separated for much longer than 3 years. My life since I last saw you . . . well, let's just say there have been a few twists and turns. But I need you to know that everything I'm about to say is the absolute truth." Peggy put her hand on top of his, gulped, and nodded as she prepared herself for anything.

Steve left nothing out, trying to narrate truthfully but in a way that wouldn't overwhelm her. He told her about being frozen and waking up in the twenty-first century, the Tesseract, Bucky, aliens, the Avengers team, five years of living with half the population gone, and finally of his most recent experiences with time travel and the battle with Thanos and his army. While he spoke, Peggy remained silent but listened aptly. By the time he decided he had shared enough for one day, his voice was growing hoarse and night was beginning to fall.

"And then, once I returned all the infinity stones throughout time, I came here to find you," he finished earnestly. Peggy's expression was hard to read.

She stood up and walked to lean against the porch rail. She looked out at her yard and her quiet street as she tried to take in everything she just learned. She had questions, so many questions.

But they had time to talk, so much time to learn, understand, and reflect on the experiences they had while they were apart. The thought she couldn't shake was that _this man literally traveled through space and time to get back to her_. She felt warm and slightly delirious.

She felt Steve move to stand next to her. His right shoulder grazed her left as he too looked towards the perfectly normal street.

"Peggy," Steve said slowly, "I have no expectations from you in coming back here to see you. I still have some Pym particles that I could use to go back to 2019. If you've moved on with your life, or - or if . . ." He struggled to find the right words as his heart hammered in his chest.

Peggy turned to look at him, tears once again filling her eyes but accompanied with a smile. "It's always been you, Steve. It's always been you."

He smiled back shyly at first, then could hardly contain his grin. They looked at each other with a new understanding. There was no reason to doubt anymore.

He inched imperceptibly closer towards Peggy and bent his head towards hers, kissing her lips gently. She responded by turning fully towards him, placing her hands on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Their last and only kiss had been a beautiful moment yet surrounded by war and death, chaos and urgency. There was no need to rush now.

However, after a moment Steve pulled back. He would marry her tomorrow if she would have him, but he didn't want to hurry their reunion and he wanted to ensure they really wanted to be with each other - not just the idea of it. He told her his thinking (minus the part about marriage), still holding her close.

Peggy nodded and affirmed this good sense. Despite her euphoria, her practical nature knew this was a wise decision. Nevertheless, they couldn't seem to let go of each other. Steve leaned his forehead against hers and they both closed their eyes for a quiet moment.

The radio, long forgotten, was still playing from inside the house. With no conversation to drown out the music anymore, they were able to clearly hear the opening words of a familiar song.

_Never thought that you would be _

_standing here so close to me _

_there's so much I feel that I should say _

_but words can wait until some other day_

Peggy pulled back. Looking up at him, she said, "I still can't believe you're really here. There's still so much more we have to talk about. But I don't think I can handle any more news right now."

Peggy decided she could handle only so much new information in one day, especially when it included time travel, aliens, and the return of a man she thought was lost forever. She hadn't meant her last statement to imply anything, but it gave Steve the opportunity to initiate something he had wanted to do since he arrived at her front door.

He took a deep breath and looked at her so lovingly. After he exhaled, he gently pulled Peggy inside to the living room. She felt lightheaded with what she realized was about to happen, something she had thought about so many times over the years.

There was no need for words anymore. Steve pulled her close, wrapping one hand securely around her waist and the other covering her hand that landed on his chest - right over his heart. She leaned in and felt his strong back under her fingers as they began to sway gently to the music. They danced cheek to cheek, savoring every second of being close to each other.

_Since I can't remember when_

_It's been a long, long time_

_You'll never know how many dreams_

_I've dreamed about you_

_Or just how empty they all seemed without you_

_So kiss me once, then kiss me twice_

_Then kiss me again_

_It's been a long, long time_

The song began to fade into the night. Steve lifted his head up and looked down at Peggy once more. He smiled slightly, then leaned in for another kiss.

He was home.


End file.
